After review of more than 300 medical research reports on berries in 2006,

here are The Berry Doctor's choices of the top 5 scientific studies over the past year.

Out of so much new science, sure, it's a leap to name 5 studies as the "top" ones. Two are about the potential benefits of berries in "chemoprevention", i.e., a chemical agent -- even if from food -- acts to prevent or limit a disease like cancer. Two others address chemoprevention by berries against viral infection and eye disease. One keeps our "eyes" on the future of berries in functional foods. These are all among the top because they have impact and staying power that will maintain attention on the health-giving benefits of berries.

Format of the presentation is to give the report title, authors' names, research institution and published reference followed by a synopsis of the main research findings.

To conclude each review, a “note to consumers” provides a single message with potential interest to the general public.

The presentation reveals 3 significant trends in berry research:

1. sophisticated biological research models, used previously in other scientific models, are being applied to demonstrate properties of berry compounds, particularly antioxidant phytochemicals

2. there is increasing focus to identify potential health benefits of berries against major diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, viral infections and particularly cancer; and

3. exotic, nutrient- and antioxidant-dense berries (sometimes called “superfruits”), such as açaí, are increasingly under systematic investigation to more completely define their properties

Top 5 Medical Research Studies of 2006

Blueberries, Vaccinium angustifolium

#5. Anti-diabetic properties of the Canadian lowbush blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.

Martineau LC, Couture A, Spoor D, Benhaddou-Andaloussi A, Harris C,
Meddah B, Leduc C, Burt A, Vuong T, Mai Le P, Prentki M, Bennett SA, Arnason JT, Haddad PS.

Department of Pharmacology and Membrane Protein Study Group,

Universite de Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada H3C 3J7;

Institut des nutraceutiques et des aliments fonctionnels, Universite Laval, Quebec City, Canada.

Phytomedicine. 2006 Nov;13(9-10):612-23.

Synopsis. Extracts of blueberry fruit plus other plant components (leaves, roots, stems)
improved glucose transport and the insulin response of muscle and pancreas cells
in vitro while protecting these cells against glucose toxicity commonly seen in diabetes.

Pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin (click for link) were increased in number

by treatment with blueberry extracts.

Note to consumers: blueberry fruit and leaves contain phenolic
antioxidants with properties improving the response of muscle and pancreas cells

to diabetic stimuli, and so have promise as anti-diabetic agents.

Cranberries, Vaccinium macrocarpon

Courtesy of The Cranberry Institute

#4. Antiviral effects on bacteriophages and rotavirus by cranberry juice.

Lipson SM, Sethi L, Cohen P, Gordon RE, Tan IP, Burdowski A, Stotzky G.

Biology Department, St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201.

Phytomedicine. 2006 Nov 28; [Epub ahead of print]

Synopsis. In a study comparing the antiviral effects of juices from cranberries, oranges
and grapefruit, the authors found cranberry juice to be 100% effective against a
monkey virus called rotavirus SA-11 and bacteriophage T4. Studied in vitro,

these effects are consistent with the anti-adhesion (anti-bacterial) properties of cranberry juice.

Cranberry juice was more effective against the viruses than orange or grapefruit juice.

Note to consumers: commercial cranberry juice has significant antiviral effects
under the laboratory conditions of these experiments, pointing toward

broader antimicrobial benefits than currently believed .

 

Black Chokeberries, Aronia melanocarpa

Courtesy of Wikipedia

#3. Up-regulation of tumor suppressor carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion
molecule 1 in human colon cancer Caco-2 cells following repetitive exposure to
dietary levels of a polyphenol-rich chokeberry juice.

Bermudez-Soto MJ, Larrosa M, Garcia-Cantalejo JM, Espin JC,
Tomas-Barberan FA, Garcia-Conesa MT.

Grupo de Investigacion en Calidad, Seguridad y Bioactividad de Alimentos Vegetales;

Ciencia y Tecnologia de los Alimentos, CEBAS-CSIC, 30100 Murcia, Spain.

J Nutr Biochem. 2006 Jul 21; [Epub ahead of print]

Synopsis. Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) is well-known for its intense sourness, a
reflection of its numerous phenolic acids serving the fruit as antioxidant pigments. In
this study of chokeberry juice containing mixed phenolics, several regulatory
mechanisms of colon cancer cell function were affected. Chokeberry juice
inhibited genes involved in cancer cell growth, reduced cell proliferation and
upregulated suppressor genes involved in growth of adenomas and carcinomas.

Note to consumers: Chokeberry juice, normally so bitterly sour that it cannot be
taken as a pure juice, provided strong anti-cancer effects in vitro. This
experiment indicates that phenolic-rich plants like dark berries have promising
potential as anti-cancer agents. The study also suggests that modification of
chokeberry juice to make it palatable, or use of its extracts, could have significant
potential as a natural anti-cancer tool.

Açaí, Euterpe oleracea

Courtesy of Markan Global

#2. Antioxidant capacity and other bioactivities of the freeze-dried amazonian

palm berry, Euterpe oleraceae mart. (açaí).

Schauss AG, Wu X, Prior RL, Ou B, Huang D, Owens J, Agarwal A, Jensen GS,
Hart AN, Shanbrom E.

Natural and Medicinal Products Research, AIMBR Life Sciences,

4117 South Meridian, Puyallup, WA 98373.

J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Nov 1;54(22):8604-10.

Synopsis. One of nature's most color-intense fruits, açaí is attracting interest for its
future use in functional foods where it could supply rich concentration of
phenolic antioxidants and value as a deep violet colorant. In studies to characterize the
antioxidant strength of açaí, these authors measured freeze-dried acai powder
against several assays of antioxidant capacity, finding the highest scores yet
measured for a fruit against the superoxide radical and for total antioxidant
strength. Anthocyanins were only partly responsible for this effect, as other,
yet unidentified phenolics were present. Using human neutrophil cells as a model,
the authors also showed that açaí phenolics remain intact and effective in low
doses for exerting their antioxidant effect. This finding indicates that small amounts
of açaí added to foods or beverages could provide significant antioxidant protection.

Note to consumers: açaí fruit from the South American tropics has the strongest
antioxidant properties yet observed in a fruit and has high promise for entering first-world
markets as a functional food ingredient and colorant. As its effects are
evident at low doses, it may become an ingredient of numerous foods,
drugs and other consumer products where antioxidant protection is needed.

Black raspberries, Rubus occidentalis

Courtesy of Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission

#1. Transitioning from preclinical to clinical chemopreventive assessments of
lyophilized black raspberries: interim results show berries modulate markers of
oxidative stress in Barrett's esophagus patients.

Kresty LA, Frankel WL, Hammond CD, Baird ME, Mele JM, Stoner GD, Fromkes JJ.

Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine,

The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health, Columbus 43210, USA.

Nutr Cancer. 2006;54(1):148-56.

Synopsis. Over the past five years, research from this group at Ohio State University has
been establishing experimental evidence for how phenolics from black
raspberries in the diet have preventative effects against several types of cancer
(oral, esophageal or throat, breast, colon). The research has progressed
sufficiently now to be carried to the next landmark stage – a preliminary investigation of
anti-cancer activity in patients with Barrett's esophageal cancer. The research
is significant as it directly examines the role of dietary berries on anti-cancer
activity in patients with an aggressive cancer.

Note to consumers: preliminary laboratory evidence shows that black
raspberries in the diet provide anti-cancer activity against oral, esophageal,
breast and colon cancers. Research on humans begun in the Autumn of 2006 is
examining potential benefits of dietary black raspberries on Barrett's esophageal cancer.

This is the first FDA-approved human clinical trial of berries

as a preventative dietary agent against cancer.

Previous Issues of Fifty Fun Facts

#1 (goji = wolfberry, black raspberry, blackberry, açaí)

#2 (cranberry)

#3 (strawberry, grape antioxidants)

#4 (recipes)

#5 (phenolics and flavonoids)

#6 (berry breeding)

#7 (FAQs on plant components)

Click here for the 2006 Archives!

 

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See you next time for another round of five from Fifty Fun Facts About Berries!

Dr. Paul
The Berry Doctor